Thousands turn out for Carlsbad Village Faire

CARLSBAD — Tens of thousands of residents and visitors descended on Carlsbad Village for the bi-annual Carlsbad Village Faire on Nov. 5.

The fall version of the event, which is more than 40 years old, caters to hundreds of small and local businesses selling knick-knacks, homemade jewelry, home décor and many other items. The fair also hosted a food court, kids zone and beer gardens for attendees to gather and enjoy the day.

“It has evolved into what I would call a great continuity of cooperation between the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce, the city of Carlsbad and ourselves,” said Rick Bauer, principal of Kennedy and Associates, which organizes the event. “If you look at a street fair like a product, the city of Carlsbad and the chamber really created something fantastic.”

Bauer said more than 700 vendors participated in Sunday’s fair, although the headcount is unknown. He said his company doesn’t tally the attendees, but said the numbers swell into the tens of thousands.

The atmosphere of the Village, efforts by the city and chamber and consistent weather have all contributed to the event’s popularity.

As for growth, Bauer said there are no plans to expand down any of the side streets such as Roosevelt or State. All three entities are comfortable with the production and turnout, and expansion may not be logistically possible as much of the Village is closed off for nearly 24 hours.

“It ends up producing a lot of win-wins situations for everyone including the downtown businesses and outside vendors,” Bauer added. “I think it’s a culmination of everyone working together.”

Amandra and Tyler Bluder of Oceanside, along with their two kids, made their first journey to the event. They said it was an opportunity to get out of the house and they were surprised at the scope of the event.

Despite thousands of people, Amandra Bluder said the fair had a small-town feel, noting the dozens of vendors selling crafts and local artists highlighting their work.

Naturally, their kids were drawn to the bounce houses in the parking lot of 83 Degrees, so the family made a pit stop so the kids could run around.

“For its size, you’re still able to walk around pretty easily,” Tyler Bluder said. “It’s more than a street fair.”

As for vendors, many were there to sell product or services, although some, like the Carlsbad Dance Centre, were there to push confidence in their dancers.

Most of the dance center’s events are insular, so the kids don’t have many opportunities to perform in front of public audiences, owner Jana Romaine said. The chance to dance gives the students confidence, she added, and even draws in attendees to dance alongside the students.

“We felt like we wanted to do more in the community,” Romaine said. “We don’t really sell anything, so it’s different from most people. They come up with dances all by themselves. They are basically improving.”